Strike action on 14th July unless Post Office bosses make an acceptable offer- CWU-UK
POSTAL NEWS No 52- 2022
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
 |
1. New CWU strike to halt cash deliveries & collections at all 11,500 UK post offices
July 01, 2022
Union calls out Supply
Chain and Admin
members and warns Post Office
bosses to ‘stop
the spin and get serious on pay’.
Andy Furey, national officer for the CWU’s Post Office members, announced yesterday that hundreds of cash and valuables in transit (CViT) workers and their cash processing and administrative colleagues will resume strike action on Thursday the 14th July.
“These members have crucial roles as they collect and deliver cash, valuables and essential supplies from and to
every single one of the 11,500 sub-post offices in the country and all this work will cease when these members walk out on strike,” he explained, after serving formal statutory notice of the action to the employer in accordance with the law, just three days after serving an almost identical legal notice on the same employer in respect of Crown Office members – who will strike on Monday 11th July.
“The blame for this nationwide disruption,” Andy continued, “lies entirely with the senior Post Office leadership, who have repeatedly failed – actually wilfully refused – to set out a sensible and fair pay settlement for either the current 2022/23 financial year, for which they’ve offered a 3 per cent deal and a one-off lump sum payment of £500, or for 2021/22, for which they offered absolutely nothing.
“The pay proposal is far, far below the current 11.7 per cent RPI inflation rate and, therefore, totally unacceptable and, coming on top of last year’s total pay freeze, it’s not difficult to see
why our members have been forced into dispute and why they returned a 97.3 per cent majority for this action.
“And today’s dashing of the hopes raised by the employer’s widely-reported media statement on Monday that it was “hopeful that we can reach a pay agreement soon” has further incensed this union and our members.”
Andy said: “Everyone knows that the only solution here is a fair pay rise that properly rewards members for their extraordinary efforts in serving the public and delivering a profitable Post Office, while also taking due account of the extreme cost of living. And there most certainly IS money available, but the management do not want to give our members their fair share.
“So, our message to the employer today was: ‘Don’t waste our time and our members’ time by misleading statements that raise false hopes. Stop the ‘spin’ and get serious about pay.”
Until you do this, the strikes will continue.”
CWU Supply Chain and Admin Northern Area rep Alan Robertson said: “POL say they want to settle the dispute, but then turn up to negotiations, and offer absolutely nothing new. The public have shown they are on our side. Horizon scandal and now this, how much bad publicity does POL want?
“If there’s no serious improvement on pay, we’ll be on those early morning picket lines on 14th July,” Alan continued, adding: “Our members are stronger and more resolute now than they were at the beginning of this dispute and Nick Read underestimates them at his peril.”
And his Southern Area counterpart Rob Jones said: “Our members are bitterly disappointed that there has been no further financial offer put on the table from POL despite the comm’s from the CEO Nick Read this week stating that further negotiations were taking place.
“It’s clear he really doesn’t care for our key workers who maintained a constant flow of cash for the millions of people who relay on cash during the unprecedented times of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s an absolute disgrace and similar to the way postmasters were treated with the horizon scandal.”
Looking ahead to the resumption of strike action on 14th July unless Post Office bosses make an acceptable offer, Rob said: “Our members in the Midlands and Southern Area will be rock- solid once again.”
Source : https://www.cwu.org/news/new-cwu-strike-to-halt-cash-deliveries-collections-at-all- 11500-uk-post-offices/
2. PRC releases report evaluating USPS FY 2021 performance report and FY 2022 performance plan
June 30, 2022
Washington, DC – Today, the Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) issued its analysis of the United States Postal Service (Postal Service) Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Annual Performance Report (FY 2021 Report) and FY 2022 Performance Plan (FY 2022 Plan). The Commission is required by statute to review whether the Postal Service has met its goals and may offer recommendations to the Postal Service regarding the protection or promotion of public policy objectives in title 39 of the United States Code.
Overall, the
Commission’s analysis finds that the Postal Service substantially complied with the requirements of 39
U.S.C. §§ 2803 and 2804. The Postal Service’s FY 2022 Plan complies with all provisions of the law. The Commission performed a comprehensive review of the Postal Service’s four performance goals: 1) High-Quality Service, 2) Excellent Customer Experiences, 3) Safe Workplace and Engaged Workforce, and 4) Financial Health and finds that:
· The Postal Service partially met the High-Quality Service performance goal. While it exceeded its target for the USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals Composite, the Postal Service fell short of all the seven other targets for the High-Quality Service performance indicators.
· The Postal Service partially met the Excellent Customer Experience performance goal. It missed six of eight CX performance target indicators, only surpassing the targets for both Business Service Network and Customer Care Center (CCC).
· The Postal Service partially met the Safe Workplace and Engaged Workforce goal. The Postal Service exceeded the FY 2021 Total Accident Rate target but missed the FY 2021 Survey Response Rate target.
· The Postal Service met the Financial Health performance goal. The FY 2021 Controllable Income (Loss) result exceeded the target.
In addition, the FY 2021 Report presents a specific shortcoming related to strict compliance of the CCC performance indicator with the applicable portion of title 39 of the U.S. Code. Performance indicators must use a methodology that makes the indicators comparable over a period of time, or else the Postal Service must note that the annual results are not comparable and provide an explanation. The FY 2021 Report lacks an indication that CCC results from FY 2018 through FY 2021 are not comparable. The Commission’s analysis outlines the steps the Postal Service must take for full compliance in the FY 2022 Report. In general, the Postal Service must include comparable results for each performance indicator for FYs 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. To be comparable, results for each fiscal year must be calculated and expressed using the same methodology.
The full report, including an appendix containing the Commission’s findings and recommendations for each goal, is available on the Commission’s website at www.prc.gov.
The Postal Regulatory Commission is an independent federal agency that provides regulatory oversight over the Postal Service to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Postal Service and foster a vital and efficient universal mail system. The Commission is comprised of five Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed Commissioners, each serving terms of six years. The President designates the Chairman. In addition to Chairman Michael Kubayanda, the other commissioners are Vice Chairman Ann Fisher and Commissioners Mark Acton, Ashley Poling, and Robert Taub.
Source : https://postaltimes.com/postalnews/prc-releases-report-evaluating-usps-fy-2021- performance-report-and-fy-2022-performance-plan/
3. Women-led digital tech start-ups take center stage at La Poste France June 28, 2022
Despite certain advances in the scope of women entrepreneurship in France, the latter remains far from the ideals of gender parity. To accelerate the progress, La Poste France breaks the silos and lends its hand to the most creative and impactful start-ups across the country.
According to a 2021 report by French firms EY and France Digitale, just 12% of digital
start-up founders in France are women.
The report, Social and Economic Performance of French Digital Start-ups Barometer 2021, surveyed more than 780 participants in France in 2020 and 2021.
It also found that only 11% of
respondents’ CEOs are women
– up from 9% in 2018.
The reported noted that even with this upward trend for women CEOs as well as
an increase in the overall parity among employees – 43% were women, versus 36% in the previous edition – more still needs to be done to support female digital entrepreneurs in France. One company seeking to do just that is the French postal operator, La Poste.
For the past three years, La Poste, along with its key partners, has run the #FemmesduNumérique Coups de Coeur awards, which are aimed at women entrepreneurs who have an innovative digital project or a digital service solution.
According to Vanessa Chocteau, Director of Transformation and Start-up Co-Innovation at La Poste, the awards “encourage women to realize their projects, by making them visible and by obtaining the first financing.” They also act as “a first step towards entrepreneurship,” she added.
La Poste’s communications department launches and monitors the award campaign each year. Women entrepreneurs are encouraged to put forward their ideas, after which La Poste’s innovation team brings in its expertise and works with its ecosystem of more than 100 partners to go through all the entrants. A shortlist is then drawn up, which includes two entrants from each region in France. The public is then asked to vote for the overall winner – the “Coups de Coeur”.
“Finally, KissKissBankBank [a collaborative platform for funding innovative projects] assists in setting up the financing campaign on its crowdfunding platform,” Chocteau added.
This year, there were 13 award winners and one “Coups de Coeur,” which went to Laurence Havé, who created the Stand Me App. This application helps patients with cancer to practice physical and cognitive activities, according to Chocteau. Every award winner received €2,000 and the “Coups de Coeur” received €4,000.
Looking at the reasons behind the selection of these particular winners this year, Chocteau explained, “They are impact-driven innovations – all the chosen digital solutions have a positive impact on society, economy, and the environment.”
For La Poste, one of the key benefits of running such an awards programme is that the winning start-ups could end up being future partners of the company. “If detected and supported at the earliest opportunity, the projects can turn into solid companies and future
partners of our Group,” said Chocteau. “They can then be supported by our other programmes for entrepreneurs and open innovation.”
One of those other programmes is La Poste’s business accelerator project, French IoT. French IoT supports start-ups at a more advanced level of maturity than those in the Coups de Coeur awards. The programme assists them with market launch and growth.
“Every year since 2015, we have selected around 15 start-ups for the French IoT programme,” Chocteau said. “They then follow a six-month programme meant to boost their project alongside experts with bootcamps, coaching and workshops. They develop business and investor connections to help develop their business and create more value. They also take part in the most popular innovation events within our Group.”
According to Chocteau, the French IoT project is a win-win for both La Poste and the start- ups. “Our ambition is to co-develop with the start-ups new digital useful services to answer the challenges of our society. The Group brings in its power and the start-ups – their agility. Together, we create value. Since 2015, we have had more than 30 active partnerships, with 14 projects currently under test, from around 110 accelerated start-ups. There have been more than 260 workshops led by experts and 180 hours of individual coaching and mentoring. Furthermore, today there are more than 300 start-ups who are part of the French IoT community, a pool of innovation for La Poste Group and its partners.”
The French IoT programme is also focused on economic empowerment of women, just like the Coups de Coeur awards are. “For the past three years, we have selected as many start-ups created by women as by men [within French IoT]. Thanks to the implementation of this parity goal, we have gone from 9% of start-ups created by women to 50%. We are proud of this progress, which promotes the leadership of women in the digital sector,” concluded Chocteau.
Source : https://www.upu.int/en/News/2022/6/Women-led-digital-tech-start-ups-take-center- stage-at-La-Poste-France
4. Whistl refreshes Parcelhub’s brand
June 28, 2022
Whistl, UK logistics specialists in e-fulfilment, mail and parcels has refreshed its Parcelhub brand aligning it more closely with the Group’s overall look and feel. The refresh comes four years after the initial acquisition of the company.
The Parcelhub brand focuses on SME and mid-market online retailers and brands with a more regionalised approach
and personalised service
with onsite local collections and consolidated volumes.
Parcelhub customers benefit
from attractive carrier
rates which have been secured
for both Parcelhub
and Whistl Parcels
customers.
Whistl Parcels focuses on large organisations and core strategic customers using the company’s national network.
Since its acquisition Parcelhub has extended its coverage and sites throughout the East and West Midlands, South Yorkshire, East London and Essex to meet the demands of SME and mid-market retailers, wholesalers and brands in these areas. The business continues to grow and has enhanced its customer service offering to include proactive parcel tracking support
which helps identify and resolve a potential parcel delivery issue before a customer becomes aware of it.
Alistair Cochrane, CEO Whistl, said: “Through Parcelhub we are able to offer a regionalised and personal service to organisations that would not normally be able to access the benefits of capacity, scalability and efficiencies available to our larger customers throughout the year as well as at peak. We look forward to continuing to expand Parcelhub’s locations in the future.”
Source : https://postandparcel.info/148881/news/e-commerce/whistl-refreshes-parcelhubs- brand/
5. Netherlands and Austria: World’s first crypto stamp licensee
June 25, 2022
Austrian Post initiated a global trend in 2019 with the first Crypto stamp. Postal operators worldwide have since tried to enter the crypto world, but Austrian Post has been the only one to successfully implement the technology, as well as bringing on board several generations of followers and an active community.
Due
to the enormous interest, Austrian Post is now taking the next step and launching an international licensing
system including a distribution platform.
The underlying technology, the customisable design and the common
platform cryptostamp.com will be
sold worldwide.
The first licensee is the Dutch postal service, as announced by Georg Pölzl, CEO of Österreichische Post AG, and Herna Verhagen,
CEO of PostNL, at an industry summit of the International Post Corporation (IPC) in Vienna.
“We specialised in the use of blockchain and crypto technology early on, making us an international pioneer. With this licensing, postal operators worldwide can now draw on our expertise. I am convinced that the first Dutch Crypto stamp will become a sought-after collector’s item with Austria’s help”, said Georg Pölzl, CEO of Österreichische Post AG.
“Stamp collecting has been around for a long time”, said Herna Verhagen, CEO of PostNL. “We are proud that we are addressing a new generation of collectors with this Dutch premiere. More and more Dutch people are interested in the world of cryptocurrencies. The Dutch always rank second or third in international purchases when it comes to early purchases of Crypto stamps from Austria”, Verhagen said. “But the broader public is only familiar with the name. With the affordable entry price – the Crypto stamp has a value of EUR 9.05 – we are now making the NFTs accessible to a wider audience. We hope that in this way we can inspire more people to take this special new step in the world of collecting”.
The Austrian-Dutch joint edition of the Crypto stamp 4.0 will be adorned with the same animal. Sales will take place independently in the respective countries and offices but can also be purchased centrally at cryptostamp.com. Further details on the motif and technical innovations will be presented at the sales launch in autumn.
Other postal operators have shown strong interest in licensing the Austrian Crypto stamp, and Austrian Post is already in talks about further cooperation initiatives.
About the crypto stamp: versions and functionality
Three years ago, Austrian Post issued the world’s first blockchain stamp and has been continuously developing this new type of stamp ever since:
Crypto stamp 1.0 (2019): Motif: Unicorn; Issue run: 150,000
Crypto stamp 2.0 (2020): Motifs: Honey Badger, Llama, Doge, Panda; Issue run: 60,000 per motif. New feature: Environmentally friendly printing on cardboard. Golden Unicorn (2020): Motif: Golden Unicorn; Issue run: 1,000. New feature: Incorporated 1 gram of gold bullion from the Austrian Mint.
Crypto stamp 3.0 (2021): Motif: Whale; Issue run: 100,000. New feature: Security elements as with ID documents, authenticity verification and activation via built-in NFC chip. Crypto stamp 3.1 (2021): Motifs: Cat and Rhino; Issue run: 70,000 per motif. Golden Doge (2021): Motif: Golden Doge; Issue run: 1,000. Incorporated 1 gram gold bullion from the Austrian Mint, first sale in high-quality premium packaging.
Every Crypto stamp has a digital twin that is stored in the blockchain. There it is found in the “Wallet”, to which the owner has exclusive access. When the digital version of the stamp is transferred from one wallet to another, the transaction is fully documented in the blockchain – a unique, digital certificate of authenticity.
The digital twin of the blockchain stamp is randomly generated and comes in one of five colours: black, green, blue, yellow and red – with the black edition being the most common and red the rarest.
Source: https://news.post.at/presse/en/post/id/1744551
POSTAL NEWS No 51- 2022
Formulated by UNI Apro Post and Logistics Sector
|
1. ID Parcel & Mail Solutions to upgrade Wizmo Solutions’ sortation system
July 01, 2022
Following the installation of ID Parcel & Mail’s Packet Parcel Sorting System (PPSS), shipping company Wizmo Solutions has ordered additional components and enhancements of the PPSS at its location in Mississauga, Canada.
The current system,
designed and built by ID Parcel &
Mail Solutions in 2021, has the
components necessary to feed, read barcodes,
weigh, dimension and conveyor mail and parcels.
It is designed to give Wizmo the ability to feed compatible packets and parcels at speeds up to 3,000 pieces per hour, increasing Wizmo’s
capacity and productivity.
Phase two of the project, scheduled for delivery in October 2022, will add automatic sorting with 20 sorting outlets with piece-to-container tracking. It will also reconfigure the system into a U-shape for better facility space use.
The sorting system will have 10 outlets for gaylords or gravity roller conveyors and 10 bag holding outlets for sorting into postal bags. PPSS outlet control panels and container bundle label printers will also be included with the sorting system.
Source : https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/sorting-systems/id- parcel-mail-solutions-to-upgrade-wizmo-solutions-sortation-system.html
2. bpost trials parcel packaging that can be reused a hundred times
June 30, 2022
On June 28 bpost launches an innovative, sustainable pilot project with Hipli. The French company’s reusable mailing bags will be used to ship Torfs, A.S.Adventure and Juttu orders to customers. After delivery, the empty bags can be popped into a bpost red mailbox for cleaning and reuse in the e-commerce circuit. All told, these environmentally friendly bags can be reused up to a hundred times.
bpostgroup is working hard to be the most sustainable e-commerce logistics operator in every
country
where
it
has
a presence. Offering
yet more proof that e- commerce logistics
and sustainability are perfectly
compatible, bpost is set to launch the new pilot project
in partnership with Hipli, the French company
behind the reusable
bags.
Chain stores Torf and A.S.Adventure are also involved. Hipli’s environmentally responsible reusable bags will be used to
ship orders to Torfs customers between 29 June and 29 September. The pilot will be extended to A.S.Adventure en Juttu customers in August.
A lifecycle analysis by Hipli shows that using reusable bags reduces the carbon footprint of every shipment by 83% compared with cardboard packaging. Water-tight and tear- proof, these exceptionally robust bags can be reused up to a hundred times. All told, Torfs expects to ship around 4,000 customer orders in reusable bags during the three-month pilot project. A.S.Adventure has committed to 2,000 responsible shipments.
When folded into the form of an envelope, these reusable bags can be returned free of charge through the dense network of bpost pickup points (including red mailboxes, post offices, parcel points and post points).
The reusable bags are also cleaned in a socially responsible and engaged way by ETA123, a sheltered workshop in Beauraing.
About Hipli
Hipli was launched in France in July 2020 by Léa Got and Anne-Sophie Raoult. The company markets mailing bags that can be reused a hundred times, along with the optimized logistics flow that makes this possible. Beyond the reusable bags, Hipli has created a circular service, tightly managed from end to end, to minimize the impact on the planet. 250,000 reusable bags are currently in circulation in France. Hipli has rapidly established itself as the leader on the French market, with a customer portfolio of more than 350 brands (including Cdiscount, Balzac Paris and Camif).
About Torfs
Torfs is a Belgian fashion retailer, which in addition to shoes, also sells clothing, handbags and accessories. The chain has 80 physical stores and a webshop. As a family business, Torfs believes that 360° care results in 360° profit. By taking care of all its stakeholders, such as its employees, customers, society and the planet, the company wants to create added value, also beyond the purely financial.
About AS Adventure
Established in 1995, A.S. Adventure has developed into the ultimate outdoor and leisure venue with more than 50 retail outlets across three countries. Our goal? To inspire our customers to push boundaries by stimulating their curiosity, a process that starts in our stores where our extensive product range, personal service and expert advice create a world packed with unique experiences. Adventure is not just a destination or activity. It represents a positive approach, focused on increasing your awareness of your life in all its many aspects. From mountain hikers to back garden campers, from globetrotters to urban explorers: every kind of adventurer will feel at home at A.S. Adventure. Because adventure is everywhere.
About Juttu
Juttu is a concept store full of fashion, but also home & deco, beauty, food, books and gift ideas for him and her. But Juttu is so much more than just a shop, Juttu is a way of living - a lifestyle where we focus on trends, feel-good and positivity, but also on awareness. This results in a unique, distinctive mix of local and international brands with a strong story. It is precisely this love of stories that unites our customers, employees and suppliers. Juttu: Home of brands, house of friends.
Source : https://press.bpost.be/bpost-trials-parcel-packaging-that-can-be-reused-a-hundred- times
3. Collective Labor Agreement FedEx
June 30, 2022
On June 23, the joint trade unions BVPP, CNV and FNV met with FedEx. One of the topics was the new collective labor agreement.
You are no doubt aware that the current FedEx collective labor agreement will expire on October 1. FedEx indicated in this conversation that they currently do not have a mandate to start the collective labor agreement negotiations.
We have indicated that we find this unacceptable and have sent a letter to FedEx this week with our response.
As a result of this letter, we will have another meeting with FedEx on Tuesday 12 July. We will keep you informed.
Source : https://bvpp.nl/sectors/overige/nieuws/2022-06-30-cao-fedex
Note: The original article was written in Dutch and the above article is an automatic translation
4. Royal Mail launches new training academy to develop next generation of leadership talent
June 28, 2022
Royal Mail has launched its new training academy which will equip managers with industry-leading skills to accelerate the business’s transformation to better meet the changing demands of its customers.
Designed to be a centre of excellence, the academy will develop the next generation of leadership talent in Royal Mail while supporting a culture of continuous learning so the business can grow and win in a competitive market.
Frontline operational managers will be the first to benefit from the new learning facility, before it is opened to the wider management team in the coming months.
The academy is part of Royal Mail’s new Midlands Super Hub, which when operational next year, will process more than one million parcels a day and provides an inspirational environment for employees to collaborate and learn in person.
The Daventry site will host a mix of in-person and virtual live training sessions focussed on leadership and technical skills. It will be supported by five new satellite learning centres in Edinburgh, Warrington, Bristol, Gatwick and Oxford. Royal Mail employees are already able to access a suite of online courses through its digital academy.
Zareena Brown, Chief People Officer, Royal Mail, said: “We are investing in our people to deliver an ambitious programme of change across the business so we can stay competitive today and into the future. Our new academy will provide best in class training and ensure that our managers have the right skills to accelerate our transformation to better meet customer’s changing demands.”
In 2021-22, Royal Mail invested £6milllion in training - equating to approximately 23,000 training days – compared to 19,000 training days the previous year.
Source : https://www.royalmailgroup.com/en/press-centre/press-releases/royal-mail/royal- mail-launches-new-training-academy-to-develop-next-generation-of-leadership- talent/
5. Deutsche Post DHL Group reveals action items to boost inclusive and sustainable trade
June 27, 2022
The Group’s first 2022 GoTrade Summit Report provides insights on how to shape modern trade policy and to further strengthen the global trade system.
· Modern trade policy has to broaden its focus on inclusivity
· Close collaboration between the public and private sector, seen with international vaccine logistics, is key to unlocking entire power of global trade
· Digital tools and technologies will play an ever-increasing role in trade facilitation
· SMEs suffer disproportionately from trade barriers
Bonn - Deutsche Post DHL Group today released its first GoTrade Summit Report. The report called "Fostering Sustainable and Inclusive Trade" provides recommendations for Policy Makers & Practitioners to boost inclusive and sustainable trade. Those are based on the findings of the first inaugural GoTrade Summit, hosted by Deutsche Post DHL Group. The
summit attracted about 600 participants from more than 40 countries working for several international organizations end of January 2022.
Trade, logistics and the connectivity of people being the structural forces of pushing wellbeing for everyone was broadly echoed throughout the event. However, all participants agreed on action items to further embrace the advantages of cross border trade for everybody. This report provides insights on how to shape modern trade policy and to further strengthen the global trade system. Deutsche Post DHL Group’s intention is to draw on the insights and implied actions from this event shaping future GoTrade initiatives.
"Trade builds bridges that strengthen us as a global community. It equals jobs and creates a livelihood for people. Moreover trade and globalization have contributed to peace and international understanding - and will continue doing so", said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group. "Our newly established GoTrade Summit attracted committed advocates for trade facilitation to seize its societal advantages. This forum revealed a strong case for public- private initiatives to modernize trade policy in a sustainable and inclusive manner. Together we want to make sure that the implied action points raised throughout the event will translate into actions."
Modern trade policy has to broaden its focus on inclusivity
Participants of the GoTrade Summit agreed to promote inclusiveness of trade. The trade-off between higher economic performance - thanks to free trade - and equality needs to be addressed more thoroughly. In that respect, one finding revealed that trade policy making mechanisms need to ensure that they are transparent and account for the needs of smaller businesses. Offering trade knowledge to local bound small and medium sized businesses while simultaneously reducing complexity in trading across border is the winning recipe for inclusivity.
Close collaboration between the public and private sector, seen with international vaccine logistics, is key to unlocking entire power of global trade
Effective collaboration between private and public institutions in trade facilitation has unfolded its genuine strength with international vaccine logistics. Seeing policy makers strengthen the approach of listening to the private sector working on the ground, as they did by joining to fight the pandemic, can help to unleash the power of trade facilitation. The collaboration between logistics providers, governments and international organizations seen on shipping COVID-19 vaccines serves as a blueprint for cross border transactions. The processes and practices introduced during the pandemic have served countries well and revealed the power of a coordinated approach to assure seamless supply chain effectiveness. Levering this approach may help cross border trade to grow even faster, reducing congestion
e.g. through implementing pre-arrival clearance of goods.
Digital tools and technologies will play an ever-increasing role in trade facilitation Digitalization is a critical enabler for more inclusive trade policy. Implementing digital solutions help to improve the performance and efficiency of trade and customs procedures further adding greater legal certainty and driving better compliance. Particularly small business have always struggled with the complexity of global trade.
Now, on the one hand digitalization makes this easier, but on the other hand, digital solutions need to stay inclusive. As a conclusion projects to digitize trade require a focus on implementation efforts and investments needed in using them. Only by keeping both in a manageable magnitude also for SMEs will enable them to enter global markets.
SMEs suffer disproportionately from trade barriers
Most business activity still takes place inside national borders, and the flows that do cross national borders mainly take place between neighboring countries. Prevailing trends still point
to a future with large business opportunities to gain from stronger links to the wider world. SME’s need empowerment, training and financial support to tackle those advantages of cross border trade especially in developed and least developed countries.
About the GoTrade Summit
On 27th and 28th January 2022 Deutsche Post DHL Group hosted its inaugural GoTrade Summit with the theme "Connecting People, Improving Lives". It was hosted at the DHL Innovation Centre in Troisdorf , Germany. While Moderators and Hosts participated in person, panelists attended either in person or remotely via video streaming technologies. Of the 600 participants, the majority joined the event using the conference’s web-portal and streaming facilities. Participation in the event was by invitation only.
About GoTrade
GoTrade is a social impact program of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL) that seeks to make the world a better place through public private partnerships that foster international trade and sustainable economic growth. Particular focus is placed on: increasing the number and volume of small and medium-sized businesses (SME) in developing and least developed countries that trade across borders; reducing barriers to trade through trade facilitation; and leveraging DPDHL resources and capabilities to help countries implement best-in-class trade and custom procedures.
Source : https://www.dpdhl.com/en/media-relations/press-releases/2022/deutsche-post-dhl- group-reveals-action-items-to-boost-inclusive-sustainable-trade.html